Astrocytes can act as intermediaries between neurons and cerebral arterioles to regulate vascular tone in response to neuronal activity. Release of glutamate from presynaptic neurons increases blood flow to match metabolic demands. CO is a gasotransmitter that can be related to neural function and blood flow regulation in the brain. The present study addresses the hypothesis that glutamatergic stimulation promotes perivascular astrocyte CO production and pial arteriolar dilation in the newborn… CONTINUE READING